Embattled Missouri Veterans Commission director on paid leave

Missouri Veterans Commission Executive Director Larry Kay has been placed on paid administrative leave. That’s according to Deputy Director Bryan Hunt, who will serve as the acting Executive Director while Kay is on leave.

Larry Kay

“That decision was made by the Commission,” says Hunt.

A Cole County jury decided last week that Kay must pay nearly $2.9 million in damages to former employee Pat Rowe Kerr, who accused Kay of sexual discrimination and harassment. Rowe Kerr was dismissed from the commission in 2009.

State Senator Scott Sifton (D-Affton), who serves on the commission, called for Kay’s resignation following the decision.

“The person heading the Missouri Veterans Commission needs to be fair-minded and focused on the needs of veterans,” says Sifton. “I do not see how Larry Kay can continue to lead this important agency in light of the jury’s decision.”

Kay joined the Missouri Veterans Commission as Deputy Director in September of 2006 and was promoted to Executive Director in August 2008.